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DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, METABOLISM AND DIABETES
Division Head, E. Chester Ridgway, M.D., Professor of Medicine
The
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes directed by E.
Chester Ridgway, M.D. has enjoyed tremendous growth. The creativity and
energetic activities of the Division faculty, fellows, research assistants,
nurses, and administrative staff have supported innovative activities in
biomedical research, education and clinical care.
The faculty consists of a multi-faceted group of 30 investigators, 18 of whom hold the M.D. degree and 12 the Ph.D. degree. The overall goal of the research mission within the Division is to discover new knowledge on the molecular and cellular basis of disease affecting the endocrine glands and to apply this knowledge to the prevention, diagnosis, and cure of these diseases. Research activities include basic research at the genetic and molecular level as well as clinical research on human subjects with the General Clinical Research Center at this institution. The research enterprise spans many disciplines including the molecular biology of pituitary hormone genes, the genetic determinant of hypothalamic hormone genes, the sex steroid hormone receptors, thyroid hormone receptors, pituitary cell signaling systems, obesity, the insulin receptor gene, insulin signaling and the lipoprotein lipase gene. The Endocrine faculty plays a pivotal role in the large institutional General Clinical Research Center grant; its leadership positions include Dr. Robert H. Eckel, Program Director, Dr. E. Chester Ridgway, Associate Program Director, and Dr. Maureen Garrity, Core Laboratory Director. This institutional resource, started in 1961, continues to grow and has a total budget of $3,617,339.
The Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes remains committed to its educational mis sion. During the past five years the NIH-funded Training Grant in Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes has been expanded from two to four positions specifically designed to expand basic and clinical research opportunities for postdoctoral fellows in both Pediatric and Adult Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes. At the present time the Division supports 30 graduate students and postdoctoral Ph.D. and M.D. fellows. Dr. George Eisenbarth was recruited from the Joslin Clinic to head the nationally-recognized Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, and Dr. Michael Kappy has been recruited to Head the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology. These individuals work closely with Dr. Ridgway to provide advanced training to individuals interested in academic biomedical careers.
The clinical services of the Division have expanded considerably and cover all consults in Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the University Hospital, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver Veterans Administration Hospital, and the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Diseases. The fellows and faculty currently operate 8-10 outpatient clinics per week in specialized disciplines of thyroid disease, general endocrinology, pituitary disease, diabetes, lipid disorders, obesity and metabolic bone disease. Outpatient endocrine visits at University Hospital alone have increased from 1,550 to 4,900 over the past four years. In an attempt to maintain the current growth of endocrine visits to the medical practice in the current managed care environment, the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes has developed collaborative practice models for each of the disciplines to be modified and incorporated into a large primary care base at this institution.
National recognition of the faculty within the Division has continued to expand. Some examples in clude: Dr. Kathryn Horwitz has been awarded an NIH Merit Award. Dr. Robert H. Eckel is currently President of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity. Dr. Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann has been appointed Director of the M.D./Ph.D. Program and currently serves on the NIH Biochemical Endocrinology Study Section. Dr. Paulos Berhanu serves on the NIDDK Special Grants Review Committee. Dr. Jane Reusch has been appointed Director of the Diabetes Clinic and was awarded the NIH Clinical Investigator Award and the VA Merit Review Award. Dr. William Wood has recently been awarded the Ph.D. Teacher and Research Award in the Department of Medicine, Dr. E. Chester Ridgway has been elected President of the American Thyroid Association and again awarded by peers in the United States as one of the Best Doctors in America.
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